Loyalty is important but it must not be given thoughtlessly. Let’s examine the dangers of blind loyalty.
The Power of Influence
Before we act, it’s wise to consider our motives. We must consider the WHY of our actions.
For example, are we working from self-interests? Or, are we blindly following someone without counting the costs of our actions?
Our motives may be pure, but our actions can still be ill-informed, careless, or excessively risky.
Therefore, we must examine the dangers of blind loyalty.
How did we get here?
If there’s no sound rationale for our behavior, then why take the risks?
When we act out of blind loyalty we stop reasoning.
We follow, but we never consider the integrity of the leader. Even when the leader has repeatedly violated our trust, or acted in ways a rational person would question.
But, who demands unquestioned loyalty? Well, certainly you can think of examples of politicians with extremist ideologies, military-style dictators, and some religious leaders.
So, how did we get here? We stopped using rational and critical thought as the basis for our behavior.
That’s how we got here!
The Precept
During a conflict with the Philistines, David hid in “…the cave of Adullam” Second Samuel 23.13. The name Adullam means resting or hiding place, hence a place of refuge.
At that time, the Philistines controlled Bethlehem, Second Samuel 23.14.
While in hiding, David made an off-handed comment in front of three of his top commanders, Second Samuel 23.15.
Based on that rather careless statement, Second Samuel 23.16-17, those three took a very risky action. Truly, they risked their lives for what turned out to be no gain whatsoever.
Similarly, we must ask ourselves: Where does bravery or duty end and blind loyalty begin?
Apply This Today!
We must be careful about confusing faith in the divine with blind loyalty to a flawed human.
It’s acceptable to give others some slack, thus to offer grace and compassion. However, it’s not acceptable to never hold a leader accountable for thoughtless or malicious actions.
Finally, what if some of a corrupt leader’s actions produce beneficial outcomes? Don’t those outcomes count for something? Truly, those beneficial outcomes only count for something if we’re willing to buy into the lie that the end justifies the means. Now, don’t fall into that trap!
I’m Dale Young. My posts share the balanced life to build wise character and guide wise behavior.
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